Meet Joe Black (1998)

A media mogul acts as a guide to Death, who takes the form of a young man to learn about life on Earth and in the process, fall in love with his guide's daughter.

Director:

Martin Brest

Writers:

Ron Osborn (screenplay), Jeff Reno (screenplay),

Stars:

Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brad Pitt	...	Joe Black / Young Man in Coffee Shop
Anthony Hopkins	...	William Parrish
Claire Forlani	...	Susan Parrish
Jake Weber	...	Drew
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Allison
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Quince
David S. Howard	...	Eddie Sloane
Lois Kelly-Miller	...	Jamaican Woman
Jahnni St. John	...	Jamaican Woman's Daughter
Richard Clarke	...	Butler
Marylouise Burke	...	Lillian
Diane Kagan	...	Jennifer
June Squibb	...	Helen
Gene Canfield	...	Construction Foreman
Suzanne Hevner	...	Florist

Storyline

Bill Parrish, media tycoon, loving father and still a human being, is about to celebrate his 65th birthday. One morning, he is contacted by the Inevitable - by hallucination, as he thinks. Later, Death itself enters his home and his life, personified in a man's body: Joe Black has arrived. His intention was to take Bill with him, but accidentally, Joe's former host and Bills beautiful daughter Susan have already met. Joe begins to develop certain interest in life on earth as well as in Susan, who has no clue who she's flirting with.

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Plot Keywords:

death | love | media mogul | birthday | toast | 

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Taglines:

He's Expecting You.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for an accident scene, some sexuality and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Universal

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Joe Black

Filming Locations:

Aldrich Mansion - 836 Warwick Neck Avenue, Warwick, Rhode Island, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£986,511 (UK) (15 January 1999)

Gross:

£3,087,979 (UK) (5 February 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, City Light Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

178 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When death is standing behind the glass in Bill's library upon their first meeting, the body is obscured. However, when death stands closer to the window, the outline in the window forms a skull. This is the first indication of who the mysterious person is.

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Goofs

At Bill's party - when he is in his office about to confront Drew - before he stands up he takes off his glasses, but in the next shot he is standing and takes off his glasses again.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Construction Foreman: Please. Please. Don't worry. Don't worry.
Allison: It's utter chaos around here. And I'm terrified we're running out of time. Am I trying to be too perfect?

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Connections

Referenced in Universal Studios Theme Parks Adventure (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Can't Help Loving That Man"
Written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II

User Reviews

One of the best films of 1998, I can't praise this film enough!

I must admit to have been slightly hesistant when I first heard about Meet Joe Black because of the subject matter and its length, however I found this film to be superb.

The acting was believable, the cinematography of the film was well thought out and extremely picturesque. The soundtrack by Thomas Newman (the Shawshank Redemption) went from chilling to the most beautiful melodies that I have ever heard (giving, in my humble opinion, any classical composer a run for their money), adding an extra depth to this film.

There are no in-betweens in this film: you WILL either love or hate this film. However, I can say that this film is one of the most uplifting and life affirming movies that I have ever seen. It left me both moved and confident that the world was not such a bad place after all. Just like the Shawshank Redemption told us that hope is not a bad thing, so Meet Joe Black tells us that indeed love can conquer all better than Titanic ever could.